Best Android Apps With a One-Time Purchase, Not a Subscription
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Many Android apps now charge every month or every year. Some still charge once. This list has five apps where the developer says in the Google Play listing or on its own site that you pay once.
TL;DR
A home screen agenda widget: Super Agenda (one-time Pro for style options).
A full calendar app: aCalendar, with one-time upgrades or the paid aCalendar+.
Phone automation, pay up front: Tasker.
Phone automation with a free tier: MacroDroid.
A music player: Poweramp, with a lifetime license.
Features and prices checked on 2026-10-23. I name no prices here. They change by country and over time, so read the price on the Play listing. I kept only apps where a developer source states the billing model today. If I could not find that statement, I left the app out.
How to spot a subscription before you pay
Read the description. The apps below use words such as "one-time", "lifetime" or "no subscription". If the description says nothing, treat the billing type as unknown.
Read the purchase screen. It shows the billing type before you pay.
Check the update notes. An app can add a subscription later. For example, the latest "What's new" note of Business Calendar 2 on Google Play mentions "Pro subscription purchases". I do not list it here for that reason. Check its purchase screen before you buy.
1. Super Agenda — Best for a home screen agenda with no subscription
Android 8.0 and newer · Free to download, one-time purchase for Pro
Super Agenda is my own app, so read this entry with that in mind. It is an agenda widget that shows the events of the calendars on your phone. The time settings (past events, days ahead, maximum events, hiding declined and all-day events) and the choice of calendars are free. One in-app purchase, Super Agenda Pro, unlocks all style options: colors, layouts, per-widget styles, presets and day and night themes. There is no subscription. There is no account and there are no ads.
Strengths
One purchase unlocks all style options.
The useful settings stay free.
Separate calendars and style for each widget.
Limitations
Style options need Pro.
No month grid and no tasks.
It is a widget. It shows calendars that sync to the phone and has no sync of its own.
Best for: People who want a styled agenda and refuse a subscription.
2. aCalendar — Best for a full calendar app with one-time upgrades
Android · Free with ads and one-time purchases; aCalendar+ is a paid app
The aCalendar listing says the app is "free with ads and some one-time IAPs". The "What's new" note says all upgrades are one-time purchases. The extras are public holidays, more colors, business features, tasks and no ads. The paid aCalendar+ has everything unlocked and no ads. The app uses the calendar storage and sync of Android, and it has 8 widgets.
Strengths
Choose upgrades inside the app or the paid aCalendar+.
A mature calendar app with many views and widgets.
Shows any calendar that already syncs to the phone.
Limitations
Ads in the free version.
Tasks, holidays and more colors need the upgrade.
More features than a widget-only user needs.
Best for: People who want a full calendar app and prefer to pay once.
3. Tasker — Best for automation, paid up front
Android · Paid app
Tasker automates your phone: it reacts to apps, time, location, Wi-Fi, calls and many other events. The Play listing says "7 day trial - one time payment to unlock" and points to the direct download for the trial. The Tasker download page says those versions expire after 7 days unless you buy the license from Google Play. The Play version is a paid app.
Strengths
One payment, no subscription.
A very large set of triggers and actions, per the listing.
A trial before you pay.
Limitations
It takes time to learn.
The trial comes from the direct download. The Play version is bought up front.
Best for: People who like to build automations and want to pay once.
4. MacroDroid — Best for automation with a free start
Android · Free with ads, one-time payment for Pro
The MacroDroid listing says the free version is ad-supported and lets you create up to 5 macros. It says you can upgrade to Pro "with a small one-time payment to remove all ads and unlock unlimited macros — no subscriptions, ever." The listing describes more than 120 triggers and more than 200 actions.
Strengths
A free tier that you can use before you pay.
A clear "no subscriptions" statement.
No coding required, per the listing.
Limitations
Ads in the free version.
Macros are limited to 5 until you buy Pro.
Best for: People who want simple automation and a free trial of the idea.
5. Poweramp — Best for a music player with a lifetime license
Android · Trial, then a lifetime license
Poweramp's site says that after the trial you can unlock the full version with a one-time purchase. It calls the Buy option a "Lifetime license" with "No subscription". The Play listing says the app is a 15-day full-featured trial. The listing describes a multiband equalizer, gapless playback, crossfade, Android Auto, Chromecast and widgets with advanced customization.
Strengths
A lifetime license.
A trial that gives you every feature.
The Data safety section says no data is collected or shared.
Limitations
The free use ends after the trial.
It is built for local files and radio streams. It is not a streaming service.
Best for: People with a local music library who want to pay once.
Your calendar, on your home screen. Super Agenda is a free, very customizable agenda widget for Android. No account, no ads.
Get Super Agenda on Google Play
Quick comparison
Super Agenda — Job: Agenda widget. How you pay: Free, one-time Pro for style options. Where the developer states it: Developer.
aCalendar — Job: Calendar app. How you pay: Free with ads, one-time upgrades, or paid aCalendar+. Where the developer states it: Play listing.
Tasker — Job: Automation. How you pay: Paid app, one-time payment. Where the developer states it: Play listing.
MacroDroid — Job: Automation. How you pay: Free with ads, one-time Pro. Where the developer states it: Play listing.
Poweramp — Job: Music player. How you pay: Trial, then a lifetime license. Where the developer states it: Developer site.
How to choose
A styled agenda on the home screen — Pick: Super Agenda.
A whole calendar app, paid once — Pick: aCalendar or aCalendar+.
Deep automation — Pick: Tasker.
Simple automation, free start — Pick: MacroDroid.
A local music player — Pick: Poweramp.
For free calendar options with no purchase at all, read 6 best free calendar widgets for Android. If privacy matters as much as price, read best private calendar apps and widgets for Android.
Bottom line
A one-time purchase suits apps that you keep for years: a calendar, a widget, an automation tool, a music player. Look for the plain statement from the developer before you pay. If you want a calendar widget, Super Agenda fits that rule, but it is a widget only. If you need a month grid or tasks, aCalendar is the better pick on this list.
Your calendar, on your home screen. Super Agenda is a free, very customizable agenda widget for Android. No account, no ads.
Get Super Agenda on Google Play
Based on published app information and features checked on 2026-10-23.
Super Agenda is not affiliated with Tapir Apps, the makers of Tasker, MacroDroid or Poweramp, or the other developers named in this article.